My thoughts, ramblings, reviews, critiques, cracks, opinions, jokes, quotes, rhymes, rhythms, songs, sorrows, poetry, prayers and other musings on life in this postmodern existence of ours in these United States of America.

I certainly have not done this for quite some time, but alas I think I need to get back to writing on a somewhat normal basis and try to get my thoughts and feelings about certain topics back on “Paper”. So I am going to try and commit to spending some regular time each day during my down time to putting the proverbial pen to paper.

So what is on my mind this morning?

+++ Jerry Brown and his budget for California. I get it, I really do, California was enormously prosperous during the 90’s and most of the 00’s. The tech boom, soaring real estate and home sales made the golden state quite flush. Sadly the state legislature took all that tax revenue and started spending it like crazy on various programs, non essential services, and deals with unions. The economy drops out, state tax revenue drops out and we are screwed. We have to do something to get the state budget close to balanced and I think third timer Gov. Brown has the right idea. Keep some taxes higher and make some big cuts to services. You got some yin and some yang here, democrats won’t be too averse to raising or keep up some taxes and the republicans will agree with the cuts to services. My only real fear is that republicans will really try to stall on this and claim that taxes need to be cut to help business develop more jobs in the state. Deep down I really do agree that job creation is the single best thing that can happen for the California economy, but working in business myself I also know that no tax cuts are going to help with job creation any time soon. Corporate or small business tax cuts will at best take a year or more to really affect job creation within the state. Most every business I know or is not basing their hiring practices based on the their tax rates but rather on the overall shape and strength of sales, production, etc.. So while job creation does need to be a long term goal I do not cutting taxes now will affect it in any way. Rather I think the responsible thing to do is really try to shore up the state’s budget and work from there. It won’t be easy for anyone, the CalWorks program which my wife works for is looking to be cut up to 50%, which in all reality could mean her losing her job, but I accept that as being for the good of the people. And I know fees and tuition will go up for state colleges and universities, which I hate to see, but I suspect this will separate the wheat form the chaff. Those who really want to go to college will have to really work for it now and they will be rewarded, as opposed those who just treat it as a four year extension of high school. Anywho, I just think that the Governor has the right idea and I hope that republican legislators (Of which I am represented by) might understand this too and try to do the painful but right thing.

Later I intended to take up my thought on the Arizona shooting, our rights, and the founding fathers.